With so much attention devoted to warblers these days, it might be
worth reminding everyone of a growing miracle. An apparent hybrid
northern parula X cerulean warbler returned this spring to the same
Toledo spot for the *fourth* consecutive year.
        Rick Nirschl discovered this bird on 5/16/04; this year he noticed it
on 4/24. Certainly it deserves the name some give it, "Nirschl's
warbler," and a debt is owed to Rick and Brian Zwiebel and others who
documented this phenomenon. More detail is in Rick's article in the Ohio
Cardinal (Vol 27 #4, pp 164-168) and in pages of the late-lamented
Birding News at
http://www.ohiobirds.org/news.php?News_ID=97
http://www.ohiobirds.org/news.php?News_ID=88
        Also interesting is news on a hybrid warbler discovered in New York
last year (New York also had a "parulean" in 2004, by the way). DNA from
this bird was examined in a lab, and you can look at photos of this bird
to tweak out its parentage on your own, as well as peek at the answers
provided by the genetic material, at
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/mystery/  There are some interesting
remarks about DNA testing and about hybrid birds in general. Might be
fun to see if you can figure this bird out before looking at the answer.
        I imagine the survival of a hybrid warbler into its fifth year is
pretty unusual. I also wonder if, having survived its perilous first
year, the chance that such a bird might live into subsequent years
increases, once it establishes and follows successful patterns (such as
returning to Toledo every year). Wouldn't an experienced bird, having
formed successful habits, be generally far more likely than others to
survive any given year? Interesting stuff... Oh, yeah--does anyone know
of an example of a hybrid wild bird producing offspring with a third
species??
Bill Whan
Columbus

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